Austin City Council Set to Vote on New Police Contract; Show Your Support
Here's how you can show your support for the proposed new long-term contract for APD which will be voted on by City Council.
The City of Austin just announced that after almost two years, Austin Police Association (APA) and the city have reached a tentative agreement and City Council will be voting to approve a new long-term contract for the Austin Police Department on October 24th. You can read Austin Chamber's Board statement on the new police contract here.
Voice your Support
1. Click the links below to send an email to the Mayor and City Council expressing your support of the new contract, and encourage your coworkers and associates to do the same. Please make sure to bcc: advocate@austinchamber.com on the email you are sending. It's important to us to hear from our members about the issues that matter.
2. Mark your calendar to speak at the City Council meeting on October 24th. Online registration for in-person and remote speakers begins at 10:00 a.m. on the Monday before the vote. In-person registration is available in the City Hall Atrium. You can find all sign-up instructions here.
Email Your Councilmember
Click the link below to pre-populate an email to your Councilmember. If you are unsure who your Councilmember is, you can can enter your address at this link to find out: https://maps.austintexas.gov/GIS/CouncilDistrictMap/
Councilmembers / Mayor | Pre-Populated Email Link |
| All Councilmembers | Email All Councilmembers |
| Mayor Kirk Watson | Email Mayor Kirk Watson |
District #1 Council Member Harper-Madison | Email Councilmember Harper-Madison |
District #2 Council Member Fuentes | Email Councilmember Fuentes |
District #3 Council Member Velásquez | Email Councilmember Velásquez |
District #4 Council Member Vela | Email Councilmember Vela |
District #5 Council Member Ryan Alter | Email Councilmember R. Alter |
District #6 Council Member Kelly | Email Councilmember Kelly |
District #7 Mayor Pro Tem Pool | Email Mayor Pro Tem Pool |
District #8 Council Member Ellis | Email Councilmember Ellis |
District #9 Council Member Qadri | Email Councilmember Qadri |
District #10 Council Member Alison Alter |
Email Template
If the pre-populated link above doesn't work for you, can can also use this template below. City email addresses follow this format: first.last@austintexas.gov.
Bcc: advocate@austinchamber.com
Title: Police Contract: It’s Time to Move Forward
Dear [CITY COUNCIL MEMBER],
I want to express my gratitude to the Council, Mayor Watson, Mayor Pro Tem Pool, and the Police Union for working together to help us move forward with a new long-term police contract for our city.
I feel that the safety of Austin’s citizens is the most basic function of government, yet for several years, public safety has not felt like a priority in our city. Right now, with over 300 officer vacancies and response times that are 30-40% higher than the department’s 10-minute goal, police have nearly become invisible in our community, which makes crime prevention suffer, people feel unsafe, and victims of crime wait for justice.
The new contract leads us in the direction of having a police department that is fully equipped to meet public safety needs and maintain the quality of life that makes Austin a great place to work and raise a family; it is both responsive and responsible.
It’s time to move forward. Please vote in favor of the long-term police contract.
Sincerely,
NAME